Scientific Positions

The Danish School of Education, Department of Educational Anthropology, Aarhus University invites applications for a position as professor MSO in childhood studies and educational anthropology. The abbreviation “MSO” stands for “with special responsibilities” in Danish. The position is available from 15 Januar 2018 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The position
The successful applicant will be expected to strengthen research activity and output as well as contributing to the high international profile of social and cultural childhood studies and educational anthropological research at Aarhus University. Childhood studies is part of the Department of Educational Anthropology, which combines elements from anthropology, education, sociology and culture studies with a strong emphasis on ethnographic empirical research. Relevant areas of research could be: research into children’s everyday lives in and across institutional settings, research with various groups of children who differ in terms of their age, ethnicity, social situation or geographical location, and research into children and childhood in the welfare state.
The successful applicant will be expected to play a leading role in developing a fertile academic environment at the Department of Educational Anthropology, and the Danish School of Education as a whole, by contributing to core activities in the areas of research, education, talent development and knowledge exchange, and in general by providing academic leadership relating to research, education and academic development.

Research
The Danish School of Education expects the candidate to have a strong profile and track record within the field of social and cultural childhood studies combined with an ethnographic empirical research approach. The candidate is expected to take a leading role in developing the department’s international profile in childhood studies through international collaboration, publishing and external funding, and by establishing partnerships.
Applicants must therefore be able to document original scientific production at the highest international level, as well as significant scholarly contributions to theoretical, methodological and thematic developments within the field of childhood studies. Applicants are furthermore asked to state their visions for future developments in the field, as well as documenting a solid track record in research leadership, research funding and international research cooperation.

Education
The successful applicant will be expected to take part in the department’s teaching and supervision activities and to teach and supervise on the department’s Master’s and PhD degree programmes. The professor MSO will also be expected to be the driving force in developing and rethinking programmes within the field of educational anthropology.

Talent development
The successful applicant will be expected to recruit, supervise and integrate PhD students in the department’s research environment, as well as participating in the development and implementation of PhD courses on research in childhood studies.

Knowledge exchange
It is expected that the successful applicant will engage in knowledge exchange as mentioned in the strategy for the Faculty of Arts as well as the strategy for the Danish School of Education. For instance in knowledge exchange with government agencies, municipalities, NGOs or wider civil society actors, and also by contributing to public debate. Applicants should document prior experience and creativity in the field of knowledge exchange.

For further information about the position, please contact Head of Department Ida Wentzel Winther, email: idwi@edu.au.dk. Phone: +45 93508860.

Qualifications
Applicants must provide research plans and explain how they will meet the expectations of the professorship in terms of strengthening and developing research and teaching within the field of social and cultural childhood studies and educational anthropology.
Applicants must also be able to document:
• Academic publications at the highest international level, including research innovation in the field of social and cultural childhood studies and educational anthropology
• Experience of active participation in international research collaboration
• Experience of research organisation, including the obtaining and administration of external funding within the field of childhood studies and educational anthropology
• Strong teaching competences and experience of supervising at all levels. Commitment to teaching development, supervision of student projects, talent development, research management and the development of PhD courses
• Experience of leading, supporting and developing fertile academic environments.

Owing to the increasingly international nature of the degree programmes in question, applicants must be able to teach in English. If the successful applicant cannot speak Danish, he/she will be required to learn Danish within about two years.

Qualification requirements

Applicants should hold a PhD or equivalent academic qualifications.

Formalities

Faculty of Arts refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities (the Appointment Order).

Further information on the application and supplementary materials may be found in Applicant Guidelines.

The application must outline the applicant's motivation for applying for the position, attaching a curriculum vitae, a teaching portfolio, a complete list of published works, copies of degree certificates and no more than eight examples of academic production. Please upload this material electronically along with your application.

In the absence of any statement to the contrary, applications must be submitted in English.

All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background.

With its 500 academic staff members, 260 PhD students, 10,500 BA and MA students, and 1,500 students following continuing/further education programmes, the faculty constitutes a strong and diverse research and teaching environment.

The Faculty of Arts consists of the School of Communication and Culture, the School of Culture and Society, the Danish School of Education, and the Centre for Teaching Development and Digital Media. Each of these units has strong academic environments and forms the basis for interdisciplinary research and education.
The faculty's academic environments and degree programmes engage in international collaboration and share the common goal of contributing to the development of knowledge, welfare and culture in interaction with society.

Aarhus University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with
a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society
nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment
to its 40,000 students and 8,000 employees, and has an annual budget of EUR 860 million
Learn more at www.au.dk/en.